Christmas Bells
by Glensather
Summary: [OneShot] Starfire, the alien girl from Tamaran, has never experienced Christmas before. So Raven, Robin, Beast Boy, and Cyborg try to show her Christmas, and give her a meaning dear to no one but Starfire [Slight RS]


A/N: I wrote this story because I just absolutely could not remember if the Teen Titans had a Christmas/Holiday episode or not (insert 'it's always Halloween' joke here). I also wrote because I noticed a lot of stories about Raven not understanding/believing in Christmas, but then I thought: of all the people, wouldn't the one who truly couldn't understand it be Starfire? Granted, Raven's probably not completely tuned into it either, but a girl from a _completely different species_ of people, with different holidays and customs, wouldn't have a clue. That's what this story is about.

**Christmas Bells  
A Teen Titans Christmas Story**

December… on Earth, much of it was marked with the dying of trees, the passing of summer, and the onset of winter and Earth's most inhospitable months. However, with winter came the brightest, indeed most 'glorious' of holidays to some; for December was the month of Christmas, the holiday in which it is better to give than to receive, to love thy neighbor and cherish thy hearth.

Christmas cheer had infused the city known as Jump. No matter where you looked, people were hanging up lights, wearing red and green outfits, skating on the park's iced-over lake, or buying gifts for their loved ones in the busy shopping malls and stores. Couples walked hand-in-hand, the snow drifting down and around them as a light, brisk breeze swirled the snow just enough, kept it just cool enough, to where it would stick to the ground. Kids built snowmen on apartment building roofs, turned their skateboards into snowboards, hurled snowballs at each other, and lazed in front of the television to watch Christmas stories.

It was no different in the building known to all citizens at Titans' Tower. Along the rim of the building, a series of lights had been strung up, made of all bright colors. They alternated in patterns, going to their own joyous time, and at the same time beating with the heart of the city. Indeed, some would call the Tower the heart of the city, for it lay within the center of the bay itself, connected only by a small bridge that had been built as part of the Tower's construction so long ago.

Within the Tower itself, five young heroes were also participating in the festivities. Where there was once a chair and sofa was now a tree so tall it the bright star atop it nearly brushed the ceiling. Rows of lights hung from the tree, bright, multi-colored lights, of every shape and size and color, and the silence of the room was peaceful. However, things were lurking within the tree.

Bright cat eyes stared out from deep within the tree's limbs, its owner's body in a crouching, pounce-ready position. The cat meowed, a soft, quiet sound, as if it were calling for something. This was just as any other cat would do if stuck in a tree; it seemed, however, this cat was particularly interesting, because it was green. Well, not really _green_, but green with black tiger stripes. Of course, this meant it wasn't your average, everyday cat, which was proven when the small creature caught sight of the ornament.

It was a simple creation, made of silver aluminum with white dust sprinkled on it in the shape of snowflakes. The ornament was round, much like a ball, and when the cat saw it, the small feline's eyes became large. In one swift action, in leaped out of the tree and pounced on the ball. Now this is where the cat's even more peculiar quality came in, as in mid leap it _transformed_, became the shape of a dove as it grasped the hook of the ornament in its beak. Turning around effortlessly, the dove dived back into the tree and became a cat again, using its paws to gently nudge the ornament onto a branch.

Obviously, this small transforming feline was Beast Boy, the youngest of the five superheroes known as the Teen Titans. This was his way of helping with the tree's decoration; he had many times seen cats in trees such as this, and now he wanted to experience it too. And so he did. He couldn't talk, but only his light calls alerted the person below to his readiness.

The person waiting was Robin, the leader of the Titans and a well-respected young man. Christmas, like many others, held a special meaning to the hero, and during this time he had his mask off, letting his vibrant eyes shine in the light of the three as he tossed another ornament up the side of the tree, watching as Beast Boy flawlessly repeated his catching action. A smile crossed his handsome features; no worries crossed his face.

Next to him, another young man helped with the decoration. This of course was Cyborg, the tallest and oldest of the Teen Titans, but nonetheless felt the warmth and spirit of the holiday through his metal parts. A special twinkle was in the teen's eye as he ensured that the lights of the tree were in working order, and that the tree itself was stable and unable to fall. Already, a few presents were under the tree, signifying that perhaps some Titans were better prepared than others. Cyborg himself had already bought a few gifts for some of his friends, but he had hidden them away in his room and locked the door. No one was getting in this year, unlike last year when a _certain someone in snake form_ had managed to slither his way inside.

An ornamental ball rolled next to Cyborg, and the large teen bent down to pick it up. Scant seconds before he did, though, the ball was encompassed by a black field of energy. Slowly, the ball lifted into the air, seemingly under its own power, before floating over a small girl's head. This was Raven, another member of the Titans and the local mage at that. It didn't seem like it at first, but Christmas was one of the girl's favorite holidays; a smile lit her features, something rarely seen on a girl such as her. Though her cloak was held tightly around herself, her hood was off, allowing her purple hair to play about her head as she worked with numerous ornaments; a conductor in her own band.

"Man, Rae," Cyborg said to her, stopping his own task to watch his friend. "You're pretty good at this."

"Thanks," Raven said, and no venom was behind her voice. "I've been practicing; you know how fragile these things are." Cyborg chuckled.

"Well, you could say I've broken a… a few in my time." He put a large hand behind his head and laughed, rubbing it absently. On the other side of the tree, Robin smirked as he heard the others talk with each other. Tossing another ball up to Beast Boy, who once again caught it, he shouted around the tree. "Raven, Cyborg, how much before the two of you are done?"

"Give us like three minutes," Raven responded, staring at the ball that was close to the top of the tree and moving it a half-inch to the left. Satisfied, she let go of the ball and let it hang loosely from the tree. "Robin, have you talked to Star yet?"

Starfire, the fifth member of the Titans, had never had Christmas; indeed, on her planet, there was no such thing. This was her first Christmas after many aborted attempts; the first time had been interrupted by Slade, the second by Trigon, and the third by their many adventures across the Earth. All in all, it had been a hectic few years for the Teen Titans, and after sitting down and planning it, the four earthlings agreed to make this the most extravagant Christmas they had ever seen.

"No, I haven't," Robin admitted, hanging some ornaments at the bottom of the tree for a change. "She doesn't have a clue what we're doing… I think she's still asleep,"

"At 4 in the afternoon?" Cyborg retorted, slightly shocked. "What's her problem?"  
"I think she feels left out," Looking to his right, Robin saw that Beast Boy had jumped or flown out of the tree and was standing next to him, stretching. "I mean, that's why I would stay in bed,"

"No, that's because you're just lazy," Raven joked, lifting a box of tinsel and emptying its contents on Beast Boy's head. The changeling was shocked but recovered quickly, sticking his tongue out at the girl. "Do you want me to go get her, Robin?"  
"Yeah, if you don't mind," Robin replied. "Let's try and make her first Christmas a memorable one."

"I agree," Cyborg said. "It's a shame that a girl who's practically an Earthling herself has never had Christmas. I mean, _come on_," he gestured at the girl next to him. "Even Raven's had Christmas. _Raven!_"

"ha, ha," Raven said. "Very funny, Cyborg. I'll be back." Dropping the empty tinsel box on Cyborg's head, Raven made her way around the large tree and walked out of the room, heading down the hallway alone. A smile still lit her face as she made her way to Starfire's room.

-

Speaking of Starfire, the Tamaranian girl was indeed asleep, snoozing the day away upside down on her bed. She didn't hear the gentle rapping at her door, nor the sliding of the door as Raven let herself in. Starfire never kept the door locked, and Raven always figured it was because the girl was so open to her friends that she simply did not care if, say, Beast Boy came in and slept on the girl's floor. Secretly, however, Raven guessed that Starfire wanted Robin to slip in one night. The mage blushed slightly at the thought, but suppressed it in favor of waking her friend.

Reaching down with a hand, Raven nudged the girl gently. Starfire sleepily swatted at the hand and rolled over, mumbling something in her native language that Raven was almost certain would translate into "just 5 more minutes". Tilting her head slightly, Raven nudged harder, and received much the same reply as before. Frowning slightly, Raven sighed, looked around, and did something decidedly… un-Raven-like.

"_Hey, Starfire, wake up!"_ shouted the mage at the top of her lungs, not three inches from Starfire's ear. The Tamaranian snapped her eyes open and practically leaped out of her skin at the shout, making it from one side of the bed to the other in less than a second.

"R-Raven!" Starfire stuttered, awake. "You have startled me!" Raven smirked, crossed her arms and quirked an eyebrow.  
"Well, it was either that or try and wake you up for most of my life," she said, shrugging.  
"I doubt that I would have slept that long, sister Raven," Starfire replied, causing the other girl to roll her eyes.

"It's a joke, Starfire,"  
"Oh… I will never understand these Ear- waah!" Starfire couldn't finish her sentence, as she suddenly found herself being dragged hand-in-hand by a… a _laughing_ Raven as they made their way out of Starfire's room and down the hallway. "Raven, where are you taking me?"

"I'm taking you to spend Christmas with us, that's where!" Raven said without looking. "Now come on, Starfire. You're not going to be the only one in the Tower to sleep today!"

"As amusing as it is to see you happy," Starfire said as she was dragged along. "I must ask… what is this Christmas that you and the others have been so excited over?" To this, Raven paused suddenly; so fast that if she hadn't been holding Starfire's hand the alien would have ran right into her friend. Slowly, Raven turned around, and a flicker of sadness was in her eyes. Starfire paused, afraid she had said or done something wrong. For a brief moment, there was pause between the two girls, and slowly, Raven reached out with her other hand and cupped it over the one she was already holding. Looking down, the two girls stared at it, before Raven looked up and smiled.

"Christmas is…" she began. "Well… there's more than one idea about Christmas… but to most people it's the buying and exchanging of gifts," she paused. "You know, like a birthday?" Starfire nodded. "Well, on Christmas Day, we all gather around our Christmas Tree, open the presents everyone's gotten for us, and enjoy the gifts we've given and received," she paused. "But… to some people… there's a deeper meaning behind it."

"A deeper meaning?" Starfire echoed. "What meaning is that?"

"It changes from person to person," Raven told her. "And it's up to you to find that meaning," she smiled a bright smile. "Now come on, I want to show you the tree!" And like a giddy schoolgirl, Raven once again pulled Starfire along the hallway to the elevator. Starfire could help but feel amused by her friend, and soon enough she felt the last of her tiredness ebbing away and her laughter kick in.

_I do not understand._ Starfire thought as Raven shuffled almost impatiently as the elevator, holding onto one of Starfire's arms with both of hers. _I have never seen her… this happy before. It is almost like she is a completely different person. I do not quite understand this Christmas… but if it does this to Raven, then it must be a good thing indeed._

The elevator doors opened and Raven practically _ran_ out the door, dragging Starfire with her. As they rounded the corner, Raven suddenly let go of her and hopped down the stairs before heading up to the tree… a tree which, now finished, made the Tamaranian gasp.

A hundred ornaments hung from the tree, along with a hundred thousand myriad lights and objects. Tinsel was spread evenly around the tree like snow, and the spherical ornaments were met with bell shapes and other strange and unusual objects to Starfire. Lights reflected off the girl's jade eyes as she let herself off of the ground, flying up to the tree before her. She circled the tree, taking in its splendor and beauty, flying up to the bright star-light on top and down to some of the presents scattered below. Around her, the other four Titans watched the girl, and, though alien, realized it was still much like watching a child's first Christmas.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Robin asked her as she lowered herself.  
"I… I have never seen anything like this before," whispered Starfire. "I am… impressed. Is this what Christmas is?" Surprisingly, Robin shook his head.

"No, but it's a part of it," he told her. "You see, Christmas is something that's both spiritual and material," he paused, his eyes staring at the tree while the others talked animatedly. "In the material sense, then in a way this _is_ what Christmas is about. You buy things for other people and give it to them on Christmas Day, December 25th," he paused again, this time locking eyes with Raven for a fleeting moment. "Spiritually, it's something… totally different."

"Totally… different," Starfire said. "How so?"

"Well, that's complicated," Robin replied, sitting on a stool and leaning back on the bar behind him. "The best thing for you to do is to ask all of them what they think that Christmas means… and then, maybe then, you'll find your own meaning for it… other than buying presents for the others." Pulling up a sleeve, he looked at his watch. "…All right, you'll have time. Tomorrow… we're having a party," Starfire's eyes lit up. "Not a big one, Star… the five of us… Speedy will show up for a while, and so will Jinx… I think a few others, but you don't have to get gifts for Jinx and Speedy for sure," he paused and looked at the girl as she took in the information. "Ask them too… both of them can be pretty smart."

"…Robin, is this an order?" Starfire asked hesitantly. The way it was laid out, it certainly sounded like one. Robin laughed at the statement though, and instantly Starfire's doubts were wiped away.

"Heavens, no," he answered. "Consider it an idea from your friendly neighborhood superhero," he looked at the others. "It'll be easier to get them alone, so just… mingle for now, okay? Or go shopping."

"Shopping, right," Starfire echoed. "Um… Robin, may I borrow one of your… plastic… cards?" Starfire fidgeted slightly, a slightly embarrassed look on her face. Robin stared at her for a moment, confused, before it clicked. Reaching down into his utility belt (his pants had no pockets), he pulled out a black wallet and opened it, producing a silver credit card and handing it to her.

"Don't spend too much," he warned. "The old man will have a fit if you max that thing out." Starfire didn't have to ask who the 'old man' was, and indeed Batman was someone she did _not_ want to meet. Taking the warning to heart, she nodded and walked alone back toward the elevator. "Starfire!" Robin shouted after her. "Take a jacket, it's cold!" Starfire nodded, but didn't look back; she didn't need to, really, as she knew that Robin's attention had already turned away from her. And indeed it had; Robin's eyes had focused on the other female of the team as she happily watched Cyborg and Beast Boy cajole each other.

For a moment, the peace was perfect. Raven's eyes seemed to glaze over dreamily as she watched the other two men bicker and fight good-naturedly, while Robin leaned back and closed his eyes for just a minute. He let his mind sink into the Christmas spirit, and maybe with it, for one day, have no worries.

"Hey, Robin…" a small voice said. Opening his eyes and staring, the Boy Wonder realized that Raven had shifted and was sitting next to him. Her smile hadn't faded, but her eyes were tired.

"Empathy sucks, doesn't it?" he asked without thinking. Raven half-glared at him but dropped it.

"It's not so bad," she whispered as the other two boys dashed out of the room to do something destructive. "I really do enjoy Christmas, that's no lie… but the inherent _good mood_ of the entire city seems to center on the Tower, so yes, I do feel happier than I should," she blushed. "I was practically hugging all over Star on the elevator… I didn't really mean to." Robin smiled at the cute picture in his head.

"Well, Starfire's not anything if not accepting of what other people say or do," he told his friend. "Within limits, of course." There was a pause as the two fell silent for a minute. Beast Boy's and Cyborg's voices had long disappeared, leaving the two wondering what happened, but the thought was lost as they both began to think about the time of year, the holiday spirit… basically things that people do sometimes, on holidays, when they're alone.

"Do you think Star will find her own meaning?" Robin asked after a time. "For Christmas, that is,"

"She will," Raven assured him. "I overheard you telling her to ask us, and I think that's a pretty good idea," she patted her friend on the shoulder. "Starfire is smart too,"

"That she is…" Robin muttered, feeling himself slip from his position slightly. Raven moved to catch him, and scant seconds later the two were leaning on each other, with Robin's head on Raven's shoulder, with the girl kind of leaning against his body weight.

"So what did you get her?" Raven asked curiously. "I tried getting her something, but the only thing I came up with was this lousy stuffed animal… thing," she sighed. "She'll hate it."

"I don't know, really," Robin admitted.

"Maybe a Christmas kiss," Raven suggested. Robin moved slightly, arcing his head up to stare at the girl.

"A Christmas kiss?" he asked. Raven nodded.

"Yeah, just kiss her," she explained. "Starfire's crazy about you anyway, may as well make her day, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," Robin replied, thinking about it. "Tell her that it's a present, and anything more will require her to… say, go out on a date with you?" Robin sat up slightly, but ended up putting a bit more of his weight on Raven instead as he listened. The position they were in actually made it more comfortable, and the two birds soon found themselves drifting slightly. They fought to keep awake as they continued their conversation.

"A date, huh?" Robin said dreamily. "I'd like going on a date with her."

"Good," Raven replied. "You should… you two would be perfect."

"Since when did you play Match-maker?" Robin asked her. Raven looked at Robin curiously for a moment, but smiled after a pause.

"I'm just looking out for the two of you," she said. "Kind of like a good sister should." Robin's laughed, though it came out more like a snort. "What?"

"A good sister wouldn't be holding my hand right now," Robin pointed out. Looking down, Raven had indeed noted that she had, at one point, entwined her fingers with Robin's, locking their hands together.

"Ah! I-I'm sorry!" Raven gasped, pulling her hand back and into her lap. "I wasn't thinking, I'm sorry…"

"Ahh, it's okay," Robin replied before sitting up. "We need to finish planning the party anyway. You up for it?"

"Yeah, sure," Raven replied, stretching in her seat. "Let's go, Boy Blunder."

"Very funny, coming from an emo kid," Robin shot back, his mouth twisted in a smile. Raven stuck her tongue out at Robin before running up the stairs, Robin giving close chase.

-

Hours later, the ten o'clock bell tolled in Jump City.

Starfire closed the door to her room and walked a few doors down the hall, knocking gently on Robin's door. In one hand she held the credit card he had given her earlier, and wanted to return it. _I certainly hope I did not 'max it out'_. Thought the Tamaran girl, fidgeting uncomfortably as she waited at the door. A few moments passed before finally the door opened, revealing that instead of Robin, it was Raven instead who answer. "R-Raven?" Starfire sputtered. "Why are you in Robin's room?"

Realizing just how _bad_ the situation looked, Raven was quick to invite Starfire in. "Just making some last minute plans for the Christmas party," she explained. "But I figure you're here for more than just to know that. I'm going to bed anyway, so I'll see you kids tomorrow before the party." With that, Raven opened and shut the door, and soon her footsteps echoed down the hall and into the darkness. Finding no reason to distrust her friend's words, Starfire turned around and indeed found Robin hunched over a desk, a few notes scattered around him.

"Robin, I have returned your card," Starfire stated, setting it down next to him.

"Thanks," Robin replied. "I appreciate it, Star; did you find what you wanted to get everyone?"

"Oh, yes," Starfire said happily. "Raven was somewhat difficult to shop for, but otherwise I had no problems."

"That's good," Robin pushed his chair away from the desk and sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Man, I can't believe I have to plan this much one day before the stupid party!"

"This is the part where Raven tells you that you should not waste your time on it anyway," Starfire said. "However, if it brings joy, then I believe it is a worthy endeavor."

"Thanks, Star," Robin said, smiling.

"…" Starfire opened her mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. Pausing, she tried again. "Robin, what does Christmas mean to you?"

"…you know, I should have expected you to ask me first," Robin admitted. He motioned toward his bed. "Sit down, and I'll try," Blushing slightly (it was a _boy's_ bed, after all; some things don't change with species), Starfire took a seat while Robin twirled the chair between his palm and a leg on the floor before stopping with the back facing the girl. He sat that way, crossing his arms and resting them on the back of the chair as he stared at the girl in front of him.

"Christmas to me," he began. "Is… wow, this is kind of hard to describe…" he took a breath. "It's love… I think that's the word for it… yeah. Christmas shows us that people still do have love for each other. You see, when I was young… well, something happened, let's put it that way. Something happened, and I lost those I loved," he looked at Starfire's face as it twisted to a look of concern. "No, don't worry about it; I've had… many years to deal with it." He paused. "But for a while, I thought that no one loved me, not even Batman, when he took me in. But," he smiled, and with it the alien girl lit up. "But every Christmas, Bruce and I would sit at the fireplace, and we would just… talk…" blinking back… something… Robin continued. "And for the first time since my… my parents had passed… that I felt loved. That first Christmas I had with him…"

Starfire reached out and touched Robin's arm, a look of understanding in her eyes. "So, to you… Christmas represents all the fond memories of love and joy you have experienced, and yet it brings back bad ones?"

"No, Starfire," Robin replied. "It brings back loved ones."

And he smiled that smile that always melted Starfire's heart… and the girl understood completely…

-

Beast Boy sat in the middle of his room. Around him, wrapping paper and tape had been strewn about, almost as if a web. His current obsession, a new basketball for Cyborg (they had destroyed the previous one purely by accident), was proving difficult because of its shape and size. Already he had gone through half a roll of paper, and as the… interesting conglomeration of various-sized objects behind him proved, he was really good at wrapping things.

A soft knock on his door elicited a yelp from the changeling, and he quickly grabbed another roll of paper and unrolled it over the objects he still had yet to wrap, quickly shuffling to the door and opening it.

He was greeted of course by Starfire, who was absently looking at a spot on the floor. "I am sorry to have disturbed you," she was saying. "But I wanted to ask you a question of some importance…"

"Aw, it's alright Star," Beast Boy replied cheerfully, stepping quickly to the other side of the door and closing it behind him. "So what did you want to ask me about?"

"What does Christmas mean to you?"

Beast Boy laughed. "Christmas? That's easy, Star," he grinned his impish grin. "One word: Presents."

"Presents?" Starfire echoed.

"Presents," Beast Boy confirmed. "Not just getting as many from everyone as possible, but seeing if the gifts you got them light their faces, make them smile, or just give you that look that means everything to you," he paused. "It's like… a birthday, but for many people, not just one."

"So it is for you," Starfire began. "The act of giving that's so enjoyable?"

"Yeah," Beast Boy replied. "Well… don't get me wrong, the _receiving_ is pretty nice too," he winked. "And when you tell people what you want, sometimes it's nice to see just how far you can push."

"What do you mean?" Star asked as she leaned against the wall next to Beast Boy.

"Well… I like getting stuff for free," Beast Boy admitted. "Everyone likes it. It's just something that you like because you're getting a gift solely for being _you_, you know?" Starfire nodded slowly. "It sounds shallow, but… I dunno," he looked at his friend. "It's Christmas, Starfire. Let's leave the deeper thinking to other holidays."

"I see," Starfire replied. "Thank you, Beast Boy,"

"Hey, no problem, Star," Beast Boy said, cocking a grin at her. "I hope you like what I got you."

"I certainly will, no matter what it is," Starfire told her friend, scooping him up in a friendly hug. "For you are my friend…"

-

Cyborg, meanwhile, had finished long ago, and was diligently… doing absolutely nothing. Like the others, he was in his room, watching television on his on personal TV that was attached to the far wall. Christmas shows were playing on it, and so the Teen Titan, with no one around, had watered himself down to being like a kid, with one hand deep in a massive bowl of popcorn and another on 3-liter of soda, with ice of course, as he watched and ate and drank merrily.

He heard the knock on his door only distantly as he listened to the ending song of _Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer_, but another part of him stood up. Cursing his lack of funtime, Cyborg remotely turned down the TV and went to the door. He pushed a button to open it, and behold, Starfire was standing there, her hands behind her back as she gave her tall friend an innocent smile. The smile would have been disarming to anyone, including him, but given the already placid nature of the tall Titan, he instead returned with a smile of his own.

"Come in," he offered, standing aside and gesturing within his room. Starfire walked in and sat on the floor next to the bowl of popcorn, watching as Cyborg walked around and sat back down in the same position as before, crossing his legs and grabbing a handful of popcorn. "So what'cha need, Star?"

"I was wondering," Starfire began. "What does Christmas mean to you?"

"Huh? Oh, right, Robin mentioned something about that," Cyborg replied, shutting off the TV with a thought. "Said you were trying to find your own meaning, right?" Starfire nodded. "Well… to me, Christmas involves the birth of the greatest person to ever walk the Earth."

"Who would that be?" Starfire asked as she watched Cyborg stand up and walk to a locked cabinet. He opened the cabinet with a code and pulled out a small book. It was a kid's book, one from when he was a child, but it held the same story nonetheless; the one he was going to tell.

"Over two-thousand years ago," Cyborg was explaining. "A child was born to two poor Jewish people. This child was the son of God. His name was Jesus of Nazareth," sitting down, he opened the book and flipped through it with his huge fingers. Starfire, curious, shifted to where she could lean on one of his massive arms as she read the book with him. "Jesus was visited by three wise men who gave him gifts, because they knew that this baby would become our savior. Do you follow me?"

"Yes," Starfire replied. "It sounds very similar to our own legends of the Savior of Tamaran, who was born many years ago, during the days when we still did not know of people beyond the stars. Though he was loved by many, the empire's religion persecuted him and killed him in a most horrible way."

"Yeah?" Cyborg asked. Starfire nodded again. "Well, that's pretty much what happened with Jesus. He healed the blind, fed the hungry, and loved the unloved, and he gathered twelve guys, called Apostles, and they followed him on his trek throughout Judea. But, see, the Jewish church, they hated him because he wasn't rising up against the Roman Empire. The Romans didn't like him either because they were afraid he would start an uprising against them. So both persecuted him and crucified him." He watched for Starfire's reaction, which was awe and curiosity mixed together. He continued.

"But see, Jesus was the son of God, so human means alone couldn't kill him. But Jesus, in his infinite love, took all the sins of humanity upon himself, and it was then, some say, that he died of a broken heart. 'For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son.' The verse goes, I believe. Anyway," he handed Starfire the book. "To me, Christmas is one of the holiest days in my faith. It represents everything to me, and I know I'm not the most faithful of guys," he grinned. "I still believe in its Christian meaning, do you know what I'm saying?"

"Yes," Starfire replied. "To you, Christmas is the embodiment of your faith, correct?"

"You got it,"

"I see…"

Starfire stood up. "Thank you, Cyborg… this was enlightening." She paused. "It reminds me that perhaps I should remember some important tenets of my own faith."

"To each their own," Cyborg replied. "Personally, I feel like I'm a soldier of God sometimes. Kind of a cheesy thought, so don't tell the others." Starfire smiled at that.

"I will not," she answered, standing. "Thank you for your time, friend Cyborg. It was most enlightening."

"No prob," said the giant Titan. "I'm always here to answer questions." He flashed a grin at the girl as she walked to the door. "See you tomorrow, Starfire."

"Yes, I will see you then."

-

Raven had long ago made it apparent that it was okay if Starfire came into her room. The two had reached a deep understanding of each other in the time they had known the other, but despite this, Starfire would knock and declare that it was her before asking to come in. Raven of course had no qualms about this – it was politeness to a T, and in a sense Starfire's royalty was probably showing through a little bit (it never ceased to amaze Raven sometimes, how Starfire could go from polite to rude and back again in a heartbeat).

She hadn't been asleep yet when the Tamaranian had knocked on the door and called out, "Raven, are you there? It is me, Starfire," Though she was certainly working on it. Sitting up in her bed, Raven returned an admission to enter, and so Starfire opened the door and walked in. She smiled at her friend – sister, really – who smiled back and nodded a hello.

"What's up?" The sorceress asked as she shifted positions, moving to the edge of her bed and motioning for Starfire to sit next to her. "Let me guess; you've come to ask about Christmas and its meaning, right?"

"How did you know?" Starfire said as she sat down, curiosity written on her face.

"Empathy," Raven replied. "You're brimming with wonder and all that comes with a child's first Christmas, that's how." As she had done with Robin before, Raven unconsciously leaned against her friend, closing her eyes but not falling asleep. "You do want to know, right?"

"Of course I do," Starfire confirmed, relaxing against Raven and taking a deeper breath than usual. It never ceased to amaze Starfire that Raven, no matter how often she changed her brand of shampoo or soap, she always smelled like lavender. Likewise, Starfire to Raven always seemed to smell like cinnamon. It was a curious thing, and only they seemed to notice it.

"It's hope to me," Raven said suddenly, casting a spell with a hand to cause the sheets to wrap around the two girls. "And you have your boyfriend to thank for that."

"How do you mean?" Star asked as she pulled the covers closer.

"Before… well, before," Raven said, not needing to elaborate. "I was afraid to celebrate Christmas. I was afraid my emotions would get out of hand, and I would accidentally destroy something. The shadow of my father was always hanging over me, and where other kids could celebrate Christmas, I couldn't do that, because I was always afraid to. But I always had this spark of hope that one day, I _would_ be able to feel something, be happy on Christmas without worry or fail… and thanks to Robin, I can now."

"After we had stopped Trigon," Raven continued. "I realized that, throughout the entire ordeal, Robin had never given up hope; he believed that I would come back, and I in turn had hoped that you guys would pull through," both girls unconsciously shivered as memories of "the end" came back to haunt them, but they pushed them away quickly. Raven, as in the elevator, wrapped two arms around one of Starfire's, and both knew that this was okay. "And you guys did; and after that, I realized how powerful a force hope was… and now, on Christmas, I think about it. Hope means so much to me, almost as much as my friends do."

"This is… because of Robin?" Starfire asked, taking in Raven's words.

"Partially," Raven replied. "I'll admit… Robin's been there for me more than most people ever had. Between you and him, I think I could have a family… for once in my life, anyway. It's kind of a wish I have."

"You care for him?"

"Of course I do, Starfire; I care for you and him and Cyborg and even Beast Boy… all of you are precious to me."

"I see…" though Starfire understood, her eyes acquired a far-off, distant look. "Are… are you attracted to Robin?" Raven snapped her head up, looking into her friend's eyes as they slowly looked back down at her.

"Why are you asking?" Raven replied. "Are you afraid I'm going to try and steal him away from you or something?" Starfire didn't say anything, but the look in her eyes gave her the answer. "Well, you have _nothing_ to worry about, Starfire; Robin and I are too much alike to go and have a relationship, and I'm too… emotionally stunted, as it were," her lips twitched into a grin. "Besides, I don't want to steal your thunder, Starfire."

"Steal my… thunder?"

"It's a metaphor; I'm not going to take Robin from you. I could never forgive myself if I did that."

"So you _do_ like him."

"I love him, Starfire. Just as I love you. And just as I love Cyborg and Beast Boy. I have this hope, this dream, that we'll never fall apart, and I'll never lose the ones I love… see, I'm going to wish for that tonight… that this hope will become reality."

"…Thank you, Raven." Starfire replied. Slowly, both girls pulled each other into an embrace, a quiet affair that told each other how they felt about… about everything.

"No… thank _you_, Starfire." Raven said. "I never realized how… how _lucky_ I was, I guess, until long after I met all of you. It's another reason I have hope." The two let go and stared at each other a minute, a happy smile crossing their faces.

"If I was not your friend, I would not be here now," Starfire said.

"I know that," Raven replied.

"But… I have one more question."

"Go ahead."

"This thing I have given Robin for this holiday, Christmas… I was wondering if you would approve."

"Oh?" Raven inquired. "What is it?"

"Well…"

-

The day of Christmas had arrived.

All around the city, joy was in the air.

And as before, it all filtered to Titans' Tower.

Raven, needless to say, was overwhelmed with positive emotions. She managed to keep it suppressed as she watched the festivities commence. She and Robin watched from the bar as Starfire talked with Speedy, at Jinx and Kid Flash as they flirted incessantly, Cyborg and Aqualad as they tried to beat each other in a game of _Halo 2, _and as Beast Boy as he talked with Argent and a few other Honorary Titans. On the bar itself, multiple drinks and snacks had been carefully placed (and Beast Boy kept far away from) by Robin and Raven, and Starfire had strung up some extra lights along the room.

"So… what do you think?" Robin asked her as he locked eyes with Starfire. The girl noticed and waved happily, and Robin returned a nod. "It seems to be going well, don't you think?"

"Yeah…" Raven replied. "It's nice… so why aren't we out there?"

"We're the parents, remember?" Robin answered. "Gotta watch the kids and make sure they don't become too rowdy,"

"Oh, right," Raven said, rolling her eyes with amusement. "We're the big scary adults, huh?"

"Yeah, but it's alright," Robin told her, nudging her with an elbow. "We're not exactly party material."

"No arguments here." Together, the two continued watching the party. Speedy had a guitar (a gift from the Green Arrow), and he was considering playing a few Christmas songs, which Starfire heartily encouraged, having not really had time to listen to any (despite what the mall was playing). Pulling up a chair from around the tree, Speedy sat down and propped the instrument on his legs for a minute as he tuned it.

"I'll warn you," he told Starfire. "I'm pretty bad at this."

"I am sure you will do fine," Starfire encouraged. "Please, play your music."

"Now, give me a minute," chided the archer. "I have to tune the thing first."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the tree, Cyborg screamed "HEADSHOT, BABY!" as Aqualad's Covenant Elite fell to the sniper's bullet, granting Cyborg the 15th kill and the win.

"Lucky," muttered the dark-haired boy. "If I hadn't turned around just then, you wouldn't have gotten that kill. _And_ I would have won."

"Wanna prove that, Aqua-dork?" Cyborg asked, the gleam of a challenge in his eye.

"Heck yeah," Aqualad said, twirling the controller on a cord. "I'll be a Spartan this time… I've got to pull off my secret moves."

Kid Flash whirled up to the bar and began to pour himself a drink. He flashed his "patented Lady-killer" smile at Raven, who only quirked an eyebrow in return.

"So how are the old folks doing?" he asked mischievously. "Being sour as usual?"

"Very funny," Robin said, grinning. "Why don't you go back to your girl before I drop the punch on your head?"

"Gotta catch me first," Kid Flash boasted. "I'm the fastest guy alive, after all."

"…Wow," Raven said in mock awe, then put on a sad look. "I feel bad for Jinx, then."

"…Did you just take a crack at my… my _performance?"_ Kid Flash said, shocked. Raven grinned an impish smile that gave him her answer. "Oh, you think I'm so bad then? Want me to prove how good I am?"

"Maybe another time, stud," Raven replied, waving him off. "Now go play, kids; don't do anything we wouldn't." Smirking, Kid Flash returned to Jinx and handed her a drink. The two walked off together toward one of the windows, holding hands and smiling.

"How cute," Robin said. "Think they'll do alright?"

"It's like light and darkness with those two," Raven replied. "They'll do fine."

"…so do you mean that?" Robin asked. Raven nodded. "…ah, I see. What about you?"

"I don't need men," Raven answered. "I've got all you guys. I've never felt the urge to get laid or have a boyfriend. Now you and Starfire, on the other hand," she motioned toward the girl that sat on the floor next to Speedy, impatiently waiting for him to start playing. "Should do wonderfully, if you would just make a move already."

"After the party," Robin promised. "I swear, after the party, I'll do something when we open our presents."

"All right," Raven conceded. "You better… oh, looks like Speedy is ready. You want to get close?"

"Sure," The two stood and walked around the bar, merging with the growing group of people around Speedy. Raven took a seat next to Beast Boy, who was sitting next to Cyborg. Robin moved around the chair to sit next to Starfire. Speedy blushed at the sudden attention he had received, but picked up the guitar and strummed it once.

"Right…" he said. "Well… I didn't expect a crowd, but I'll give it a shot."

"Yeah, you go boy!" Kid Flash shouted from the window. Jinx giggled next to him as Speedy shot them a look.

"Very funny," he shouted back. "A-hem… anyway, I'll start off with a slow one, that all of us are familiar with, except for Starfire of course," he winked at the girl. "So just sing along." Strumming a scale real quick, Speedy limbered up his fingers and started the song.

It started off as a set of licks in a specific, soft order; a chord, the beginning of the song. Most of the Titans sitting in the group recognized the song immediately, humming it softly to themselves. Even Kid Flash and Jinx, standing off to the side as they looked out the window, picked up on it, and Jinx sang the song quietly to herself. Only Starfire, who had never heard the song before, stared up and at Speedy, her eyes filled with wonder.

_This song is… beautiful._ She thought. _I wonder… how does it go?_ As if on cue, Speedy paused for a minute, smiled at Starfire, and restarted the song.

"Silent night…" his voice was deep, deeper than his looks would betray. "Holy night…" he paused and looked out, nodding to… someone.

"All is calm…" the voice was soft, like velvet. Few heads turned, and indeed none did, as Raven stood up, face slightly flushed, and continued singing as she made her way to Speedy. "All is bright…"

"Round, yon Virgin," they sang in unison. "Mother, and child,"

_Holy infant, so tender and mild…  
Sleep in heavenly peace…  
Sleep in heavenly peace…_

Starfire was in awe. _This song… is one of the most glorious things I have ever heard._ As the pair continued singing, they were soon joined by a chorus of voices as the other Titans sang, holding hands as they joined in the song. Starfire felt something warm on her hand, and looking down, noticed that Robin had taken off his gloves and had taken one of her hands into both of his. Looking up at the Titans' leader, she saw that a smile was decorating his face, and warmth filled her heart. Robin looked away from her and up at the music as he quietly sang along, but even with the relative quiet of his voice, Starfire felt a deep meaning behind his words, and she sank herself into his voice.

_Silent Night…  
Holy Night…_

_Son of God, love's pure light…  
Radiant beams from Thy holy face…  
With the dawn of redeeming grace…  
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth…  
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth…_

-

"Bye…" Robin waved as Speedy gathered Jinx, Kid Flash, and Bumblebee into his boat. All of them waved back as the Boy Wonder turned around, typing in the keycode to shut the large double doors of the Tower. "Wow… that was great…"

Robin reached the elevator and went back into the rec room without any fuss, where he watched their own, quieter Christmas take place… well, as quiet as it can get with kids like Beast Boy running around. Speaking of Beast Boy, he had surrounded himself with presents, one from each of the other four Titans; Cyborg was sitting on the couch that Speedy had dragged out earlier, acting much calmer than his counterpart as they waited on Robin; Raven had cleaned off the bar and made a place for herself there, and Starfire found that the area right next to the bar perfect for her. Robin grabbed a nearby stool and sat down in it, and was quickly handed his own things.

A pause settled as four sets of eyes turned on him. Flushing, Robin glanced at all of them.

"What are you waiting on me for?" he asked. "Open your things already!" An explosion of activity came from Beast Boy's area as he morphed into a tiger and ripped open all four boxes surrounding him, the ribbons of wrapping paper flying into the air before coming to settle down gently around the changeling as he morphed back into a human, cradling one small rectangular box in particular.

"H… Halo…" he whispered as he stared at the copy of _Halo 3_ in his hands. "Oh, my God… _Raven!"_

"What?" Asked the girl innocently, though the smile on her face proved otherwise.

"How did you… you know what this was?"

"Do you honestly think I don't pay any attention to you and the others that much?" Raven quirked an eyebrow at her friend, who's face turned into one of pure ecstasy. He leaped over the ribbons and tackled Raven right off the bar, hugging her tightly as they both plummeted off the far side. Laughing, Raven tried to push the small boy off of her.

"L-let go!" she cried, her voice only broken by laughter. "Your… your – haha - face is on my – hehe - chest! Ahaha, you…" Raven gasped for air. "You pervert!" Slowly, Beast Boy lifted himself off of the mage, a blush and grin showing on his face.

"T… Thanks, Raven," he muttered. "Thanks a lot." He stood and reached down, helping Raven stand back up and sit back on the bar.

"Hey, no problem," Raven replied, patting the boy on the head. "Just… no more groping me with your face, okay?" His blush darkening, Beast Boy nodded and went back around the bar, sitting with his new things and holding them close.

Eyes moved to Cyborg, who was busy dribbling a basketball. The tall Titan looked at it, grinning, before flashing a grin to his small, still blushing, friend. "Aw, man," he said. "You know this means I'll have to challenge you again, right?"

"I know," Beast Boy replied. "But this time… I'll win."

"You're on," Cyborg said. "Tomorrow afternoon. Be on the roof."

Eyes shifted again, this time to Raven. Somehow, the girl had managed to quietly open all of her gifts and fold the wrapping paper neatly, and was already using one of the gifts… or rather, reading it.

"I will never have free time again," whispered the girl as she continued reading the opening paragraphs of _Eragon_. "I hate you and love you at the same time, Robin." The Boy Wonder grinned at that, but otherwise said nothing.

It was then that everyone realized that Robin only had three gifts about him. Curious, the boy looked at the only person he figured was missing getting him a gift. "Starfire?" The girl yelped at hearing her name and looked up. A nervous blush went across her face as she stared up at Robin's curious eyes. Slowly, the alien girl stood, making it as if she held something behind her hands. Looking away nervously, Starfire took a deep breath and began to slowly walk toward Robin.

Unknown to all, Raven had a knowing smile on her face.

"Well…" Starfire began slowly. "I did get you something for the Christmas… but I am afraid you will not like it very much,"

"I'm sure that whatever it is will be awesome, Star," Robin assured her, somehow eliciting a deeper blush from the girl, but she nonetheless continued, ignoring the watching eyes of Cyborg and Beast Boy and the seemingly nonchalant way Raven continued to read, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Had anyone been watching, they would have noticed how she seemed to blink very slowly, and the flash of gray that passed through her violet eyes.

"Well, I have found this- oh!" Starfire's admission was interrupted as a tug at her hands caused her to involuntarily shake them as if they were covered in water before gasping and turning around. However, the gift in question was already on the move, hovering up and above Starfire's head. It was a curious vine shape, with a red bow as a decoration, and held up by something resembling a black tendril of Raven's energy as the mage expertly moved it square above and between the space between Robin and Starfire. Both stared up at it before Robin opened his mouth to speak.

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked the Tamaranian girl.

"Yes," she answered. "Raven said that this… 'mistletoe' will help me get over my… situation."

"What's that?" Robin said, although he was sure he knew the answer.

And sure enough, as he slipped off his seat, Starfire had walked up to him. The two stared at each other for but a moment before both Titans closed their eyes and leaned in close, their lips brushing each other before both allowed it to manifest into a full-blown kiss. The two stopped breathing as two of their hands met and as Robin put a hand on Starfire's back. They both pushed deeper into the kiss, and soon Robin had Starfire to lean forward, and Starfire began to slowly bend backward, lost in the moment.

When they broke the kiss and opened their eyes, they looked into each others' eyes with something akin to love. Starfire wrapped her arms around Robin's neck as he held her in the same position, leaned back in both of his arms as they stared at each other.

"The others are watching," Starfire whispered.

"Frankly, Star," Robin replied. "I don't give a damn," and with that, he bent down and kissed her again.

_Love, Hope, Faith, and Giving… these are their meanings of Christmas._ Starfire thought as she lost herself in Robin's kiss. _But what is my meaning for it? I think, to me, it is a mix of them. My love for my friends, and especially for Robin; My hope that all things will always be good between us, that we'll always have each other; my faith in not only the people close to me, but the have I have in X'Hal; and the way we give our hearts to each other, for now and the future_.

_Happiness… that is what Christmas is to me._

"Merry Christmas," Raven whispered. "And to all, a good night."

Fin

A/N: Yes, Robin/Starfire fluff is good for the soul.  
So this is my first one-shot, how'd I do? Please leave comments in the review box!


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